Railway block system.



PATENTED MAR.- l0, 1908. 0. BARNISH. RAILWAY BLOCK SYSTEM.-

PPL UATIUN FILED JULY8,1907. A I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

thev following isa full, clear, and exact de l UNITED sTArEs rrnn'r onFIoE.v

OLIVER BARNISH, OFSPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIQNOR F ONE-HALF TO JOHN M.

- NEWELL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY BLOGK SYSTEM.`

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Maron 1o, 190s.

Application filed. July B, 1907. Serial No. $82,568.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER citizen of the United States of Americafand resident' of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, ave invented certain new .and useful Improvements in Railway Block' Systems, of which sion in a railway block system designed to be o erative t'o stop' a moving train or to check t e movements thereof, or otherwise warn the engineer, withA certainty, whenever a train moves into a track section or block.

Within which a train may be either running or stopped at any given time. 4

The apparatus of the character to which this invention pertains comprises a plurality of track sections or blocks insulated one from .another'and a vehicle to runthereover, of a movable abutment 'adjacent the trackof one of said sections, a normally o en circuithaving a generator connectedt erein and also having connected therein the tracks of a given section, and also A'having connected therein a solenoid operative to shift' the movable abutment adjacent the rail of a remote block, said circuitbeing adapted to be closed by the presence en the track section to which'v it pertains of'opposite connected wheelsof the locomotive vor other vehicle running thereover together with a train controlling ldevice ona vehicle and means operated by said abutment for actuating saidtrain controlling device. .I

The particular object of the present invenf tion is to Aprovide means automatically coacting with the core ofa solenoidr-and operative' whenthe circuit' is closed', the solenoid ener ized and the core thereof moved to shift the a utment to its train stopping position, to

' engage and lockthe solenoid core whereby it elevated and the abutment is capable of resistin' any impact or forces brought therea' ainstgby 'parts carried by the -locomotive,-reliance on the potentiality of the electric currentfor keepingthe solenoid ted not being necessa and asa consequence -th'e comparative ysmall and light solenoids and low current ma suflice forv requirement of ecient an reliable blocksystem.

Another object of 'the invention is to pro- BARNISH, a v

`sion of the.' movab vide an improved andl 'more efficient means for operating the ai-r brake controlling valve on a locomotive and for holdin the valve., after 'it shallhave been opene with certainty, in its opened position.

The block system to which this invention pertains is in general similar to the onedescribed, illustrated and claimed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed in my. name March 16, 1907, Serial No. 364,221.

The vinvention consists in the'improved devices or appliances and-the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described in the accompanying drawings and set forth in theclaims.v y

'In the drawings,-Figure lis aside 'elevation of a ortion of a locomotive showing, in

section, t e air brake operatin valve f or the englne and train drawn there y', and showin vertical section a movable abutmentT etic means for lcontrolling the position of t e abutment, the parts bein shown as in their p ositions for opening an holding open the said valve. 'Fig. 2' is a view and electro ma simil-ar to Fig'. 1, `but showing the parte' as in their normal positions'with the valve which controls 'the air brake mechanism closed. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams to show theinclu-1 e abutments and trically'operatjng means therefor in= a system".

ward lower portion of a oco'motive and?) represents the valvetwhich controls thel air- `the said valve causes an immediate vacuum effect for the setting of thebrakes.

B represents a lever intermcdiately. pivotally mounted at 1.0 on a bracket extension et' the valve casing, one end of said lever bein connected with the lower-exposed extremitg ofthe stem ofthe valve. i

' A link 12 is pivotallyhu U to the `other eX- tremity of .the lever B, tothe dependin end of whlch is pivotally conirpcted an` eglbow lever C, the upper arm 14H0 which remains Bof in contact'against, or is pivoted to, the lower end of a depending extension or lug 15 carried by the bracket 11..w;l 1 il egits depending member 16 extends alongside of and 1n roximity to the rail :c at one side of the `trac way and is provided with a roller 17 the path of which may beleftI `clear,o1;- intercepted' by the theval've is opened and'rali'sed to the position shown 'in Figli l', to be' spring'snapped under the lower end of the valve stem and operate asfalock for holding the valv'efope'ned for an position to lie across i and the side-'ofthe eoilf'ffl'ifl which the solenoid iscoiiiiected'is'pened and indefinite'2tin1e,-ithat"is until it. may be manually forced 'away' from engagement with the Valve stem to pernitithevalve under the air Iessure thereagainst to be closed.

1 T e abutment D-isfin itslen th of an'obtuse'angular form and -is pivoter at 20 at one l end ofen-upwardly open elongated Casin E which is' sunkb'eloifs7 t level'o'fthe roaded just outside ofthe track line'.v The said casmg has a` downwar'd'f extending continu ation E-inlwhich isan Eliiially'vertical solenoid F,--r;re` resentihgtlie 'solenoid coil, and s its core. f he-s'olenord"Wlii .rijs below the abutment plate D-eonne'cited thelattcr by the link ft-sothat when5 anclec 1c' circuit in 'which the solenoid fisjincluded is-` energized, causing l 'rc-,the abutment )osition shown in portion having a the path of thelongitlb dinally--x'novinglever feller l f represents'` 'the 'l Fig; 1 its liufnped middle lofek, thesaine havingthe iferm fof -a""rig iil L :shaped lever pivote yhunggasr'ep'r' .di 'at 25, -at its upper end? in asupprti'n ug therefor its lower horizontal spo'sed member 2G hasits'loeation belen heffso'lenoid coil. A short rod o'sta'nds fronrtheside of the so lenoid coil, near 'thebottoni of. the latter throughavertiealislotjiin' L'shapedloeking lever, and has afstop i end, while' a spiralA spring" andisl in compression betwc` the solenoid is dead, A the spring o fwill cause the-locking device' L "to ward; as Irepre'sented 1 corefivill'ldro'f. (litho-a lowered. 'W lci tl'e so'lnold is 'energiei that its coreis drawn upwardly to elevate the abutment-l), the locking device L which has dia ram views, Figsfa .side of the track o located adjacent th: ra ai r g solenoid coactimy formed=as 'part of the olenold casing, while Another set f of circu l "connected Vtherein.

the' function of an armature, is electrically attracted towards the axisofzthe coreofithe solenoid and engages in the lower end thereof and serves tolneciianically lock the core in its raised position whereby thecore and abutment l) held supported therebv, will be capable of resisting forcesin a relativelirfJ-dciinward direction thereagainst which may be much stronger than the solenoid core might be able to sustain frein the exerci s e, nierlv, of electrical agenciesfl 'Sn onasl'thgri'rcut becomes opened and tlies enoid delnergized `the force for. nlaintailn g'ftlie'lo'el; L 'f orthe solenoid core in theen ggemmwichthehiter becomes destroys' locked subject to the action'-ofitsi retlraeting spring which is eifectivejo displace'itlfroin leaving the solenoid Vengagement with the 'core which byitsfgravlf ity will descend and permit orfinsurcthelowering of the abutment D -The devices comp solenoid, forfcoaetio valve operating dev' be utilized in a railr instance in a mann Retiens. y as losses'. ihsnexililvlli leisthf any train which -n'iaybe run; thereover. One '-of the" abutln 'ts D and, 1` t s .el e ot ro tions y; and ano Ward end of the ne coil r of the 'soleno nient specially desig cent' the track at t` is oppositely wires 1 0 andY 11, ivl haveconnection w o block mi, saidfwires also Iiav1 g. vn n with the opposite 9. ht-"59mm o the c ially de'signatmiV ad track section which is tion or lock x2, antigene, netting circuit cony ugetor tery or 'other generat raak-cen: )fhasifazfbatf vleennectedftheren. ond-peters 205221.,

track se-fw d "nhsfbl'ocks are separated by comparatively sliort traclg alon L- connects vth'esolenoid'coll enactingfwithfithe fr I yabut'nnntljtnear the forward endfof fblock andthe vcoil"ofthe solenoid'ceactinglwith the abutment. D39. .adjacent j the; y dead-frail of ltlnebloc -v 1,b wires 22 has distesi-imagini battery c Assuming the train runs past block into block conditions will be established,

heilatter aimed?, bloele-.j and as represented by the diagram Fig. 4, that is te say, axially united wheels of the train will close the circuit in which solenoids D and Dzo are included'and cause the elevation of the abutments which are combined with thesolenoids; and now, of course, if a train approaches the block a02 from the rear, before reaching the forward end of block it will encounter, through the meoium of the liever arm h thereon, the abutment, specially designated by D', with tlie-result `that its air brake valve will lbe mechanically opened and the train will be stopped before having proceeded very far on the dead track section in advance of block x,-and thus no train can collide at the rear end of one already in the block x2. And, again, on the assump tion that the apparatus may be used on a single track road, the train in'block m2 securing the elevation of the abutment D20 on the dead track lsection in advance thereof',v

will assure the train in said block x2 from bein collided with, head on, by a train moving towards it from the left. And it is, of course, manifest that repetitions of the devices .including the abutn'ients and. cir-. cuit. connections pertaining to pairs thereof will protect each and all of the blocks in the system inthe manner which has been especially described in respect of the block arg..

The 'circuit conductors in which a block and @a solenoid are connected may each have a cut out switch u, the same to be normally closed, butadapted to be opened' for the pur oses of economy or-expediency.

henever by the operation of the electro mechanical devices described the air brake controlling' valve b is upwardly opened.

. against the air pressure, the spring carried lock h, snapped under the lower end of the valve stern, will operateto keep the valve locked open for an indefinite' time, that is, imtilvthe catch oril'cck is "manually disengaged, allowing the valve to automatically closeunder the pressure.

I claim:-

1. Ina railway block sySteiIi, the combination with a plurality of track sections insulated one from another, and a vehicle to run thereover, a movable abutment adjacent a track of one of said sections, a normally 1 open electric circuit, having a generator connected therein, comprising the tracks of a given section, and'also having .connected therein a solenoid, said circuit being adapt-ed to be closed by the presence, on the track section to which it pertains, of opposite connected Wheels of the vehicle, means for en gaging and locking the shifted core of the solenoid, and a, brake perating device on the vehicle adapted to beactuated by said abutment.

2.',In a railway block system, the combisulated one from another, and a vehicle to run thereover, a movable abutment adjacent a track of one of said sections, a normally open-electric circuit, having a generator connected therein, comprising the tracks of a, 'given section, and also having connected therein a solenoid the core of which is-oper- '4 ative to shift said movable abutment, said circuit being. adapted to be closed by the presence, on the track section to which it pertains, of opposite connected wheels of the vehicle, an armature adapted to be niagnetically attracted by the energized solenoid and to engage, and lock, the shifted core -of the latter, and a brake operating device on the vehicle adapted to be actuated by said abutment. l

3. In a railway block system, the co nibiA nation with a plurality of track sectionsA insulated one from another, and a vehicle to run tliereover, a movable, abutment adjacent a track of one of said sections, a normally open electric circuit, having a generator connected ltherein, comprising the tracks of a given section', and also having connected therein a solenoid the core of whichis operative on said movable abutment, said circuit being adapted to be closed by the presence, on the track section to which it pertains, of opposite connected wheels of the vehicle, an L-.shaped armature pivotally mounted at the side of the solenoid, adapted to have a iiiein ber thereof magnetically attracted by the latter when energized, and by a member thereof to engage andlock in shifted position the solenoid/coil, anda spring for retiringl the armature fronieiigageinent with the solenoid coil7 and' abrake operating device on the vehicle adapted to be actuated by said abutment. v

4. The combination with a solenoid and circuit'conductors in which it is connected, of an armature pivotally mounted alongside the solenoid and `adapted. to be magnetically attracted to assume a position across the axis of the solenoid and to engage the shifted core of the latter, and means for retiring said armature from its core engaging position.

5. The combination with a solenoid and circuit conductors in which the solenoid is connected, of anL-shaped armature pivot-ally mounted at the .side ofthe solenoid and adapted on the energizing of the latter to have an angular member thereof magnetically attracted to locking engagement'y with the 6. The combination with a t-rackway, and i a railway vehicle having an air brake controlling valve inoiinted thereon, and a lever interniediately pivoted lon a fixture adjacent said valve, having one arm thereof engager.

'with' the stem of the lVlv., an elbow lever [ulmnrnod at the end ofoneof its arms to an @tension ofthfe valve' Casing, link connected i fa@ its elbow toon [ifm of therirs't named lofer and having' zmlepending arm, of a Inov "a'lrlo abutment looatedadjaoent a rail of 'the l `tialnvy ladapted rgoviisfiirne si. position to be hongerige@ by unly to' swing said elbow lever,

OLIVER BARN-isn Witnesses: G. R. DmsooLL, WM. S. BELLoWs; 

